Still the Same
by DelaneyDay
Summary: Fearing Klaus' retaliation, Sophie enlists Marcel to aid her in a desperate move to incapacitate the Original Hybrid. The full moon is high in the sky when Klaus falls to his knees in the parlor of his New Orleans home. Memories flash in front of his eyes, and then . . . nothing. Who can Elijah trust to safeguard his brother while he works to reverse the spell? KLAROLINE
1. Chapter 1

**Hello, Everyone! This story takes place after the finale of Season 4. It will be mostly Klaroline with a hint of Kalijah. This fanfiction is rated M as it will contain adult themes in later chapters (things get bloody . . . and sexy). Lastly, this is set approximately one month after graduation.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or its characters.**

* * *

"I will ruin every last one of them," the Hybrid growled pacing back in forth in front of the fireplace mantle. "They have made a fool of us, Elijah. I will see every one of them gutted and burned."

"I agree. This is unforgivable, but we need to be smart about this, Niklaus. They do not gather often, thanks to Marcel. We will need to call in reinforcements. We need to be smart." The elder Original seethed from his chair before the hearth, more composed but just as deadly as his brother. "They have taken this too far."

Letting out an angry roar, Klaus lifted a wooden side table and hurled it across the room where it splintered into many pieces against the brick walls of the parlor. When he turned back in the direction of his dark haired sibling, his eyes were wide and crazed. Speaking between harsh breaths, he purred, "I say we go visit sweet Sophie tonight. Send a proper message."

"Hardly the time to mount an offense," Elijah said lifting a multifaceted crystal glass to his lips and swallowing deeply the amber liquid within. "The full moon is tonight. They will be at their strongest. We wait and strike when they are vulnerable."

"Marcel doesn't let them practice."

"Nevertheless, the fear alone will haunt them this night. But tomorrow, their blood will flow in the gutters of New Orleans."

A fiendish smile curled along the lips of the younger Mikaelson as his motions stilled and calmed. "Just like old times, Big Brother."

* * *

The soles of his shoes patted along the uneven stone path of the cemetery. The sun and humidity were especially oppressive this day. Why the witches insisted on meeting with him here, he could only blame on their incredibly clichéd notions of privacy and heritage. He had to admit though, he was intrigued by their invitation. It was rare under his rule that the so-called servants of nature would seek him out. An entourage of five followed him as he turned down one of the small avenues squeezed between the battered structures; his feet remembering where to take him as he strode forwards.

Before him, set alongside the entrance to one of the few large, underground tombs were two women. While one was young and delicate in her maxi skirt and tank top, the other, a woman of near 50, was rotund with dark skin and pale green eyes. They smelled of paraffin and smoke.

"Thank you for coming, Marcel," spoke the elder woman in a deep but clear voice. "Come with me."

An eyebrow raised across his brow as she turned into the tomb and descended the few steps to the lower level. Nodding his head to the side, Marcel motioned that one of his vampires stay above. With quick, energetic steps he followed her down.

The room was ill lit with about two dozen candles. Huddled together was a gathering of six witches. He vaguely recognized them all, but it was the petite one in the center that brought a wide smile to his mouth.

"Sophie, Sophie, Sophie," he said with a sing-songy tone. Clapping his hands once, he rubbed them together in excitement. "Fancy meeting you here. I thought you'd be on your way out of town. I hear you have a certain Hybrid out for your blood. Tough break. You will have to tell me sometime how you managed to piss him off _so_ profoundly."

"Save it, Marcel," she firmly stated. "Like you don't already know."

His toothy grin stayed plastered on his face as he shrugged, "Well, I can only imagine it has something to do with a not-so-pregnant she-wolf. Honestly, Sophie, baby drama? _That _was Jane-Ann's big plan to pit Klaus against me." Marcel tutted at her with a shake of his head. "Bit of advice for you, Sweety: Next time, choose a stronger witch to perform a sustained spell. Or, a woman that is actually pregnant. Easier to fake a paternity test than it is to fake a baby." Winking at the young witch, he added, "Know what I mean? You bit off more than you can chew. Now you have two enemies. What _will_ you do now?"

Sophie's eyes narrowed and her jaw set as she listened to the overconfident vampire rattle on. "That's why you're here."

A moment of silence followed her words before he spat out an enthused chuckle; a chuckle trailed with the laughs of the men behind him. Stepping toward her, his face grew serious. "Why would I help you? You're lucky I don't kill you all where you stand."

The young witch's heart pounded in her chest, but she straightened and glared into his eyes. "If you know about Hayley, you know that we've had Klaus spying on you for weeks now. We now know you have a powerful witch at your bidding. And, we know that you have nothing over Klaus. We kept you safe these few weeks since his arrival. _We did._ Now that he is not bound to us, you are in just as much danger as we are. He wants to be King. You have no weapon against an immortal Hybrid, you have no leverage. No power over him."

With an angry guttural sound from deep in his throat, Marcel prowled forward and grasped Sophie's chin roughly in his hand. Dark veins swelled and throbbed beneath his eyes.

Struggling to still speak, she continued, "When he's done throwing his tantrum with us, he will come for you. Nevermind his brother . . . They say Elijah never stakes vampires; that he likes to take their heads and their hearts with his bare hands. Tell me, Marcel, what _will _you do now?"

The vampire released his grip on her face and stepped back. Within the span of a second, his face shifted from a dark stare and set frown, to a playful, jovial expression again. Throwing out his hands, he smiled back at his men before returning his gaze to her. "You have my attention. What is your proposition, Little Sophie?"

"We both need to get rid of Klaus. So I propose a deal. We give you the weapon, you give us freedom to practice."

"A) What weapon would that be? B) No. I give you magic and sooner or later we have rogue witches. Voodoo, Vaudun, Blood Magic, it'll be a million different kinds of grimoire crazy up in this joint again!" Marcel's voice raised up as he glanced back at his accompaniment. Enjoying their leaders performance, they laughed lightly.

"Fine. Certain magics. We are witches, Marcel. Let us be witches."

He considered her words for a moment. "Tell me what you can do for me, and we'll talk."

"There is only one thing that can kill an Original."

"A white oak stake."

"Which we can't get," Sophie went on. "But, just because you can't kill something, doesn't mean you can't incapacitate it. What would you say if I were to tell you that we could incapacitate the Original Hybrid. Permanently."

"A dessication spell is not perma—"

"—Not dessication."

Marcel's head quirked as he considered her words. "Permanent incapacitation of Niklaus Mikaelson for the return of basic magics to New Orleans?" He studied Sophie as she swallowed hard and nodded her head. His eyes flicked to the women behind her who all stood stiff and nervous, their eyes jumping back and forth between himself and the young witch. His smile seemed to curl up to his ears, "I'm listening."

* * *

"I am so over you!" Caroline screamed down the hallway. "I told you I have a meeting with the Mayor this afternoon!" The blonde stomped her bare foot against the floor beneath her. Her wet hair and body were wrapped in a set of matching fluffy, pink towels.

"Calm down, Peaches. It's not my fault you have the smallest water heater on the planet," the brunette droned as she walked from the kitchen to the living room with a bowl of spinach salad held in front of her.

"Damn it, Katherine! I told you not to use all the hot water—" Caroline halted when she saw the bowl. "Is that the salad I just made?!"

"Yeah," Katherine said taking a bite as she walked into the other room and plopped down on the sofa. "Raspberry Vinaigrette: Good choice."

"Seriously! I was going to take that to my mom at the station! God! You selfish brat!" she yelled following her into the family room and throwing a hand on her hip.

"Hey! Who are you calling selfish? I believe those are_ my_ Louis Vuittons that you are going to be wearing to this meeting. Besides, have you _seen _my hair. It takes a lot of hot water to clean this hot mess."

Dropping a long, irate sigh, Caroline spat, "I _cannot_ wait for Damon and Elena to get back from Europe. I'm so _done _babysitting you."

"No one asked you to keep me prisoner this summer," she quipped with a sneer.

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Yeah right. You barely lasted a week before your 'friends' came a-knockin'. And who saved you, Katherine? Who pulled that greasy vamp-skank off your human ass that night at the grill?" Raising her hand up to her ear, she waited for the Doppelganger to answer.

Katherine glared daggers at her temporary house mate. She stabbed her fork into many leaves of spinach and strawberries and made a show of placing the bite in her mouth. After swallowing the mouthful with a satisfied smile, she said, "You did, Peaches. Good job. Do you want a gold star for your board?"

Caroline coughed out an incredulous laugh. Speeding forward, too fast for the brunette to track, she took the bowl from Katherine. Walking back towards her room, she began to eat the sweet salad she had made for her mom's lunch.

"Hey!"

"Mmmm! This _is_ good!" Katherine heard her sing before the sound of the vampire's bedroom door slamming echoed through the house.

* * *

Davina sat cross legged on the floor in her attic bedroom. It was hot and the portable air conditioning unit was doing little to cool the space down. Her hair was pulled off her neck but sweat still collected on her temples and throat. She walked her fingers back and forth across the wood beneath her listening intently as Sophie and Marcel spoke in front of her.

"Why can't you just do it all tonight?" The brown skinned man asked.

"Because," Sophie said, "It's not your run-of-the-mill spell. If he was sitting in front of us unable to move, it would be different, but he's not. This spell is difficult as is; over a distance, it's going to take time."

He shook his head with his ever present smile, "Some time is a few hours; not a few months."

"The suppression spell must be done on a full moon, and it will deplete her," Sophie explained gesturing towards Davina who peeked up at her from under one eyebrow.

Marcel gave a little laugh, "I think you underestimate my witch."

"No. You underestimate the spell. It's not easy to take away who a person is. If it wasn't for her existence, this spell would be borderline impossible. They don't make witches like they used to, and we can't all be Bennetts."

"Why can't you just eliminate them all in one go? Why do a suppression spell at all?"

Sophie gave a sigh of frustration. "I told you, it wouldn't work. It wouldn't be complete. It's like trying to clean an old pan without soaking it first. It won't come completely clean. Besides, it will still work right away, it just won't be permanent for two moons. First suppression, then elimination."

Looking down at Davina, Marcel gave a short, placating smile, "What do you think, Girly?"

Davina's voice was quiet but loud in intent, "I won't know until I start. It is a sustained spell. I can do it, but I may be weakened while sustaining the suppression."

"How weak?"

"I won't know until I start," she reiterated. "I have yet to read the full spell, so I can only make guesses."

His eyes jumped back to Sophie, "Weak? For two months? Quite a large piece of information to leave out, ya think?"

Rolling her eyes, she looked to the ceiling. "One month; tonight's full moon and next month's. She will be weakened for one month. The witches understand the rules and will not abuse this opportunity. You have my word."

"The word of a witch means little to me," he purred menacingly.

"This is our only course of action. Are you backing out?" she challenged.

Marcel's brown eyes regarded Sophie seriously for a moment. She was right. He needed Klaus to back down and preferably abandon New Orleans. Now that the Original Hybrid had discovered the secret of Davina, he had no recourse. Klaus either needed to be taken out, or he would destroy Marcel's rule over the Big Easy. "Do it."

* * *

Elijah's leather shoes made a small tapping as he crossed the hall into the parlor. Walking in, he noticed his brother was on the phone, so, unbuttoning his suit jacket, he silently sat in one of the plush armchairs and waited for him to finish.

"I must bid you goodnight. My brother has descended," Klaus said congenially into the phone. Elijah was surprised by his light tone and the small smirk on his lips. The Hybrid had been boiling over just that afternoon. He listened as the conversation came to an end, "Goodnight, Love." Upon hanging up the phone, Klaus turned to his brother still sporting a contented look.

"I would love to know what sort of magic can make your mood alter so dramatically," Elijah hummed gesturing toward the window where the full, bright orb of the moon shone brightly in. "Especially on a night like tonight."

"Never you mind," the younger brother said grabbing his drink from the mantle and sitting in a chair across from the brunette.

"I do hope Miss Forbes is enjoying her summer break," he said slyly.

Klaus' eyes became cold; his smirk, while unmoving, shifted from happy to threatening. "I'm sure she is."

Sensing his brother's disinterest in continuing this line of conversation, he changed topics, "I've just gotten off the phone myself. Our darling sister is in Germany."

"Is her pet still with her?" The blonde asked reaching towards the coffee table to grasp a black sketchbook. With a flick of his wrist he flipped through the papers to a blank page. Leaning forward, he snagged a pen from the same center table.

"It would seem." Elijah stood and calmly strode to the dry bar where he filled a small glass.

* * *

"Give me the glass," Sophie directed.

Reaching towards her, Marcel handed over a lowball glass empty save a heavy staining of blood along the bottom. The same glass Klaus had filled with blood to cure Marcel's dying daywalker just over a month ago.

Adding a splash of water, the witch swirled the glass until the water turned a muddy red. She lifted her eyes to where Davina sat chanting in a circle of candles and salt on the floor; her palms turned up. Sophie was careful to not step into the circle as she poured the liquid over and into the palms of the child-witch.

* * *

Elijah always thought it relaxing to sit with Klaus as he drew. The sound of the writing implement scratching softly over the thick artbook paper was soothing. That mixed with the light popping of firewood and the vision of firelight through the scotch in his glass was a relaxing melody that had him forgetting the stress and anger of the day. His calm was so complete that when a sharp gasp and a quick movement came from Klaus' chair, the elder brother jolted in his seat.

Looking over he saw his brother cringing with closed eyes, a rigid forehead, and his thumb and pointer secured over the bridge of his nose. "Niklaus?"

Shaking his head of the pain, Klaus peered up at his companion, "It's nothing, just a strange—" But he stopped before he could continue. His thoughts became a swirl that he couldn't make sense of and the room spun around him. He tried to lean forward to place his head in his hands but only managed to fall in front of the chair on his knees. He could vaguely hear his brother call out to him but the words were lost on the air. This was different from a witch's migraine or a shift, this was disorienting; less of a popping of his brain or bone and more of a forceful stir of thoughts. Images flashed in front of his eyes, but he refused to look at them. He fought to regain his senses knowing that something was being done to him. Trying to find something to hold onto, he grasped at his surroundings. Finding his brother's suit jacket, he gripped tightly trying to visualize the jacket and the man wearing it.

* * *

Davina began to struggle with her words as her chanting increased in volume.

Marcel's voice echoed through the tiny room when he asked, "What's happening?"

"He's fighting her," Sophie explained. She poured the last of the contents of the glass across Davina's forehead and stood back as the flames around the young girl grew exponentially.

* * *

His eyes burned yellow as he yelled out in agony. The images were brighter now and accompanied by sounds, sensations, and smells. Screams echoed in his head as he swore he could feel hot blood running over his hands. A moment later it was the feel of parchment and the smell of charcoal.

He could swear he saw the back of a small girl with golden plaited hair. "Nik, catch me!" She squealed as she ran ahead.

It was Rebekah. The thought mixed with adrenaline had him pushing away the image as he grabbed tighter onto Elijah's jacket. The vision tried to resurface, but he wouldn't let it. Soon it was replaced by a flash of memory. His sister sitting across from him wrapped around Stefan Salvatore, the Ripper. Soft jazz music engulfed the room and the bubbles of champagne sparkled on his tongue.

Klaus gasped loudly when he looked to his right just in time to see his father lowering a sword onto the neck of his favorite horse. He cried out.

The sounds of his dying stallion rang loudly in his ears, and then silence. In the distance he could see wild horses grazing in a field. Looking over he laughed when a young Kol popped over the log they rested behind and bolted into the field after the horses. He almost indulged in this memory before the pain of his brother's recent death hit him, and he turned away. He could still hear the laughter, but he drowned it out by listening for Elijah. His elder brother's panicked voice was almost discernible.

* * *

Davina's tiny voice cried out slightly as she cringed. The light of the candles dimming. Sophie looked on concerned.

"I can't," Davina gasped. "There's too many." Leaning forward she left her seat and moved to her hands and knees struggling to keep hold. The candles around her were flickering.

"You must, Davina. Search them out." Sophie urged.

Marcel grabbed a hold of the older witch's arm and yanked her ear to his mouth. "You said she could do this!"

She viciously whispered to him, "I said she is the only one who _has a chance_! He's fighting her. He must have an anchor."

"A what?"

"If he has something with him; something he loves. He could draw on it. A focal point." Seeing the lividity in his eyes she pleaded, "She can get around it, she can! She just has to find a pressure point."

* * *

Again the sight of blonde hair. Blonde hair falling in tight waves. The sound of a light, feminine voice and large blue eyes staring innocently up at him. "Could you please go back into your creepy trophy case of family collectibles and dig me out something of royal caliber?"

The sight of her made his body relax. "I'm sure we can work something out," he had said eliciting the brightest of smiles from her glossy lips.

Soon her blue eyes became sad. Blinking he realized they were now surrounded by trees. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "I just killed twelve people," she whimpered.

Flashes of carnage rolled through his head. Killing twelve Hybrids. Killing five Hunters. Blood on his face.

"Niklaus!" A dark male voice yelled in his ear. Searching for the source he could feel silk in his hands once more. Realizing what it was, he gripped tighter.

* * *

The flames around Davina suddenly extinguished, and she collapsed breathing heavily. Marcel and Sophie stood silently next to her; the only movement that of the swirling smoke lifting off the blown out candles.

Kneeling softly beside her, Sophie pulled back the hair on Davina's sweating face. The girl was awake, but seemed spent and unfocused. "Did you get them all?"

A tear traveled down her face, and she shook her head slowly.

* * *

"Niklaus!" Elijah yelled. He felt Klaus' grip on his lapels tighten before he went slack in his arms. Lifting his little brother, he laid him down on the sofa. Standing back, he removed his ruined suit jacket and the tie that seemed too tight at the moment. His heart raced as he tried to steady his breathing.

He didn't know what had happened. One minute his brother was fine; drawing peacefully by the fire. The next he was shouting out, writhing, and murmuring and screaming nonsense. Klaus would grip his jacket and seem to calm only to be assaulted anew after only a moment.

Looking down at him he seemed to only be sleeping. Running a hand over his face, Elijah sat on the edge of the coffee table leaning his elbows on his knees. He watched and waited for his sibling to wake up.

* * *

"You said two moons!" Marcel roared from where he paced in his sitting room downstairs from Davina.

"Yes! One to suppress, and one to eliminate," she nodded from her seat in front of him. "But she couldn't suppress them all. She said she was almost done, but the anchor was too strong. She will finish in the next moon when she is rested."

"She does not need a month to rest! She will do it tomorrow!"

"No. She needs the moon. The full moon is essential to the spell."

A deep growl erupted from his throat. "What did she miss? Am I to believe that now we not only have to deal with Klaus, but we'll have to deal with a Klaus that knows we just tried to take away his history?!"

A small smile raised a corner of Sophie's lips, "No."

"No?" He asked with raised eyebrows as he halted in his movements to stare down at her.

"Davina says she was able to take all but the oldest. She tried for them, but he keeps them tucked away deep in his mind. She's confident that he will only recall the very beginning. His humanity."

"Humanity?" A wide grinned jumped onto his mouth when he understood her meaning. "Well, well, well. I guess this wasn't such a colossal failure after all."

* * *

Elijah was by his side the moment his eyes popped open and his breathing grew ragged. The elder Original reached forward to touch Klaus' shoulders, but upon seeing him, his brother jumped and backed into the corner of the couch so fast that a human would not have seen the movement. His blue eyes were glowing with fear.

"Klaus?" Elijah whispered lightly.

It took Klaus a few moments to recognize the face and brown eyes of the man in front of him, but when he did, a sharp breath fell from the Hybrid's chest. "Elijah."

The elder Mikaelson's own sigh of relief came when his brother seemed to calm slightly in front of him. The brunette stared inquisitively though when he watched his brother's eyes dart around the room confused.

As if remembering something, the blonde lifted his hand to the center of his chest and rubbed the spot he was sure would be caked with blood, but there was none. "Elijah, where are we?" His eyes widened slightly and scoured the room again; his voice now louder, "Where's 'Bekah? What did he do, Brother?"

"Niklaus, you must calm down. We are in New Orleans. Rebekah is in Germany, remember?"

"Where?!" he demanded becoming angered by his own confusion. "What did he do to us?!"

Elijah shook his head, not understanding. "Who?"

"Father!" He shouted, a glimmer of yellow swirling through his eyes. "Where is 'Bekah! She's been hurt!"

"Klaus, Klaus, look at me," Elijah said grasping his brother's face attempting to get him to focus. "Rebekah is safe—"

"—But I saw—"

"Brother," he said firmly. "Rebekah is safe. I just spoke with her."

The news seemed to calm Klaus as he peered desperately at Elijah. "Why aren't we dead?

The brunette's eyebrows were furrowed harshly on his forehead. "What is the last thing you remember, Niklaus?"

The Hybrid's eyes went to the floor as he tried to remember, "'Bekah and I were in the house. We were arguing about . . . about . . . I wanted to leave. I wanted to run, and I wanted her to go with me. Then Father stormed in. He had his sword drawn. The blade was covered in blood. I stood in front of her. But, the blade went in." Again his hand rubbed at his chest as if he could still feel the wound. "Before my eyes closed, I heard her scream." His eyes clouded with unshed tears as he remembered how helpless he felt to protect his cherished baby sister from his father.

Elijah could not move. He was frozen with shock.

"Brother? What is this place?"

"Niklaus, I need you to tell me something. Even if it sounds ridiculous," the elder brother said with a weak voice. "Who is the man who sired you? Who is your father?"

"Elijah?"

"Just answer the question."

"Mikael is our father. I was born of Mikael and Esther; just as you."

All the air fell from Elijah's lungs. Niklaus would never claim himself the son of Mikael. "You don't remember."

"Remember what?" he asked feeling nervous at his brother's reaction.

"Being immortal."

* * *

**Please review! I want to know what you guys think of this plotline before I write too much more. **

**This chapter and the next will be limited Klaroline as the story gets established, but, trust me, this story is all about them.**

**I try to update once or twice a week.**

**For those of you who didn't quite understand, Hayley was never pregnant. The witches did a spell to simulate a pregnancy. It wasn't a one-time spell, it had to be sustained by a witch for the illusion to continue, but the witch wasn't strong enough, so the deception was revealed. The story started with Elijah and Klaus reacting to the discovery of that betrayal.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for the feedback on the first chapter! **

**This chapter is light on Klaroline, but no worries, there is A LOT coming up. There will be a slower set up on this story due to the nature of Klaus' state. Sorry.**

* * *

"Uuuugh!" Katherine moaned.

"I told you that you were drinking too much," Caroline laughed into her cup of coffee.

The brunette's hands flew up to cover her ears, and she tilted her head forward until her dark curls fell over her face blocking the light out of her eyes. "Well, you know everything, don't you?" she sneered sarcastically.

"I'm just saying that I was human not too long ago; you were human, like, a bijillion years ago. Maybe you should listen to my wisdom when I say that you can't handle _that_ much tequila," the blonde smugly put with a shrug. Getting up to refill Katherine's mug, she took a moment to shake her head at the domestic atmosphere in the kitchen. Never since meeting the elder doppelganger did she think she would one day be pouring her coffee to help her deal with a hangover.

It was early Saturday morning, and they were both still wearing pj shorts and tanks. Katherine maintained her dark fashion sense even in her sleep, but Caroline wore a peach top and shorts sporting yellow flowers. She had taken great joy in obnoxiously rousing the elder girl from bed that morning by running the vacuum through the guest room with a wide grin on her face. She had laughed almost maniacally when Katherine shrieked and rolled off the side of the bed. Now the poor doppelganger was slumping forward on the counter looking slightly green.

"Did you hear back from the Mayor? Can I count on some peace and quiet around here from now on?" the brunette asked peaking up out of her hair trying to distract herself from the way the room spun.

A bright, peppy smile came to Caroline's mouth, "Yep. He wants me to organize the Labor Day Parade as, sort of, a trial. I'm meeting with the lady that heads the Founders Association on Monday."

"Have fun with that," she groaned.

"I think I will!" Caroline's phone buzzed, and she jumped for it. After viewing the small screen, her shoulders fell slightly.

A corner of the brunette's mouth lifted, "Disappointed?"

"Shut up, Kat," she sighed. "It's Elena. They reached Berlin, but apparently Rebekah and Matt had to change plans."

"How fascinating," the doppelganger droned.

Caroline scanned through her phone for a few moments before tossing the white rectangle down on the counter with a huff.

"You are so transparent."

"Look, it's just weird. He's called or texted just about _every_ day since graduation. It's been three days. I'm just worried."

Katherine arched a dark eyebrow.

"I know, I know! It's stupid."

"Well, yeah. Considering it's just about impossible to kill him, it's _pretty_ stupid you are worried about him."

"Ugh . . . I know. Whatever, I don't care." Swiping a hand back through her hair, she exhaled sharply. Waiting for Klaus to return her texts made her feel restless. She needed to do something, so she made do with washing the few dishes sitting in the sink.

Just then, the bell rang from the front door and both girls raised messy, curly heads in that direction.

"Who the hell is knocking on doors at this time on a Saturday?" Katherine slowly turned her back to the counter and slid down until her bum hit the floor. The bell rang again. "Please, Peaches, please. Make it stop."

"My hands are all sudsy; you get it. You have legs," Caroline spat.

Katherine grunted tugging herself up off the floor and trudging toward the door, "I hate you."

Hearing the brunette's steps fade down the hall, she muttered under her breath, "The feeling is mutual."

Swirling the last glass under the water, Caroline realized she had heard the front door creak open, but no voices. "Katherine," she called grabbing a dish towel and making her way to the hallway. Once she entered the hall, her eyes immediately jumped to the scene at the door. There stood Katherine stone still, silent, and tense regarding their obviously intrigued visitor.

Caroline's expression was shocked as her voice came out quiet and confused, "Elijah?"

Peering up from the speechless and freaked out doppelganger, he smiled congenially, "Miss Forbes. Lovely to see you. Forgive me for not calling."

This wasn't good. Out of all the people that were to be kept in the dark about Katherine's humanity, he had to show up at her door.

His voice seemed to rouse the brunette from her shock, "_What_ are you doing here?" she blurted.

"Alas, there is a private matter I wish to discuss with Caroline, but I can think of a second reason that just sprang to mind now that you mention it." His voice was as straight-forward and mannerly as ever but, somehow, also dripped with hidden meaning as his eyes burned into Katherine's.

"My mother isn't here to invite you in," Caroline piped in as she took a stance beside her house-mate.

"Pity," he said, his eyes briefly flicking over to her.

"We can talk on the porch," the blonde offered motioning with her hand.

"Unfortunately, it is necessary to speak in a more guarded location. Perhaps Katerina and yourself could join me at my family's estate?"

Before Caroline could answer, Katherine's voice sprang out maliciously, "Right. Leave this house, so you can deliver me to your brother. No thank you."

Seeing the curly-haired brunette's attempt to mask the obvious fear in her eyes, Elijah straightened. "I give you my word that if I were to take you from Mystic Falls, it would only be to remove you further from Niklaus' presence."

The doppelganger watched him for a moment, the toe of her foot tapping on the entry rug, before glancing over to Caroline. Taking the lead, the blonde declared, "We'll need time to get ready. An hour?"

"I appreciate it. I will see you in one hour." Before turning to leave, his eyes regarded Katherine once more. A small smile curled up his face as he made his way to the expensive black sedan parked on the street.

* * *

"I'm only asking that you stay here until I come for you," Elijah assured.

"You said this is a friend of mine. Why do I need to _hide_ from him?" Klaus asked leaning against the mahogany desk in the well lit library.

"An explanation is in order. Don't you think? The people I have invited here have not always been your friends, Niklaus. In fact, one is most certainly not your friend, and I must first confirm that this is indeed the best option for your situation. I need to speak with them before you are seen in your current state."

Klaus' jaw tensed visibly and his voice lowered with irritation, "I am not a child, Elijah." Long hands fisted by the Hybrid's sides as he tried to remain calm.

"Stay here, please, while I speak with our guests and explain what has happened," the brunette said placing a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I still don't see why we are here at all. I'm hardly defenseless. You said so yourself. I can't be killed." The pleasure he derived from this idea was evident in his voice.

"You were hardly defenseless in New Orleans too when your enemies ripped your very memories from you. You must trust me, Brother. We don't know what their end game is, and you are safer here. They may not be able to kill you, but it is quite apparent that your memories, your mind, are a whole other matter."

A harsh breath escaped the Hybrid's chest, "Why here?"

"Mystic Falls is full of your enemies. No one would expect you to come here for sanctuary. They will assume you would be with Rebekah or myself."

"Regardless of what is expected, if this place is full of enemies, it's hardly a sanctuary. So, again, why here, Elijah?" One blonde eyebrow lifted as he regarded his older sibling.

"Because, I believe, Mystic Falls is also home to the only person, besides your family, that would want to protect you."

* * *

"I have a bad feeling about this," Caroline mumbled pulling onto the private drive that would take her to the Mikaelson house. "I have never shared more than three sentences with Elijah. What could he possibly have to talk to me about?"

Katherine grabbed a tuft of fuzz from her jeans and crossed her ankles casually. "There is only one way to find out." From a distance, she would appear collected and nonchalant, but to the vampire next to her, she reeked of fear. Not literally stunk, but the elevated heart rate, the unsteady breathing, and the flushed skin made it all pretty clear.

"You could've stayed home, you know?" the vampire mentioned.

"I know," she said smartly.

"You must really trust him," Caroline deduced, her tone matter-of-fact.

With a drawn out sigh, she replied, "Elijah may be many things, but it would take a lot for that man to renege on anything he put his word to. He's boring that way."

"I hope you're right," the blonde said with a half-hearted chuckle turning onto the paved loop in the Mikaelson drive-way, "'cause we're here."

Caroline couldn't deny that she was nervous and excited. What with Klaus being MIA the last few days, she was eager to know what his brother could possibly have to speak with her about. Did something happen to Klaus?

The heels of two sets of boots clicked up to the double doors. Unintentionally, in unison they took a deep breath. Hearing their joined sighs, Caroline laughed to herself and Katherine couldn't help but sardonically smile at the situation with a shake of her head.

_Knock Knock Knock _Caroline was thrown every time she knocked on the Mikaelson door. The emmense size of the house implied a heavy, haunted knock would sound, but the wood was solid and gave off a bright sound when struck. Not the sound you expected from the Addams Family's home.

After a moment, Elijah swung open the door with a pleasant smile on his face. "Ladies, thank you for coming. Please, come in."

Caroline smiled warmly as she accepted his invitation, but Katherine hung back regarding him critically. "Your word?"

"My word," he confirmed.

Stepping over the threshold she stood next to her blonde companion. With a light click, the front door shut and Elijah turned to show them into the parlor.

The ceilings were high and the room airy. Several tall windows allowed in an ample amount of natural light along the far wall with a decadent hearth nestled between two of them. There was plenty of dark brown leather seating stationed around an antique coffee table above which hung a glamorous yet well proportioned crystal chandelier. Elijah took a moment to remember the day he and his family had readied themselves for the Mikaelson Ball in that very room; one of the last times he had shared this homey place with both of his deceased brothers, Kol and Finn.

"Before we sit," he began, pulling back his suit jacket to tuck a hand into his trouser pocket, "Katerina."

Katherine stopped her walk toward the sofa and peered at him inquisitively, "Yeah?"

"What I am about to share with Miss Forbes is of a highly delicate nature. Knowledge of the information I am about to share with her may create issues for you if you stay to hear it. If you wish, I can escort you to the gardens to enjoy whilst we have this discussion."

The doppelganger looked back and forth between the elder Original and Caroline with an envious expression. Elijah couldn't deny that he wanted Katherine's curiosity to get the better of her.

"No, it's fine," she nodded hesitantly eliciting a small smile for him." I've already put one nail in my coffin. What's a second one?"

"Very well," he said swiping his hand out toward the room's seating, "Please, make yourselves comfortable. Would either of you like a drink?"

Caroline chirped a little too brightly, "No thank you." She plopped down on the cushions and curled her hands on her lap eager to get started.

"Nope. I've had enough," Katherine mumbled.

"Very well," he cordially spoke while setting himself down on one of the plush armchairs, his posture relaxed and legs crossed. "If you haven't already ascertained, this concerns my brother."

"Did something happen?" Caroline asked sharply. Noticing the pointed look from Elijah and the amused look from Kat, she cleared her throat and sat up straighter.

"Unfortunately yes," he sighed. "The witches of New Orleans are desperate for change. The city is under the rule of an old Protégé' of Niklaus'. Upon our arrival, they attempted to force an alliance with him and myself. Their tactics were ill-conceived, and when we discovered their treachery, we were prepared to retaliate. . ."

Caroline took advantage of the slight pause in his speech to ask, "What did they try to do?"

Before he could wave off the question as insignificant, the other woman in the room answered with a sly smile. "They convinced Elijah and Klaus that Hayley was pregnant with Klaus' little Hybrid baby."

"What?!" The blonde screeched, her blue eyes doubling in size before a nervous laugh trickled out of her mouth. "But, vampires can't procreate, and, even if they could . . . Hayley? Really?" She laughed at the absurdity before realizing no one was joining her in her amused moment. "Hayley?" she asked again, this time with actual belief in her tone, turning to Elijah.

"It's true. Well, at least that Hayley was used in the deception by the witches. It seems we . . . I," he corrected, "was too easily convinced that a child between a Hybrid and a werewolf was possible. Apparently, it is not."

Caroline fell back into the cushions of the couch with a sigh. She really didn't know why she was so upset. It's not like Klaus and her were in a relationship, but something about Klaus getting physical with Hayley of all people put her teeth on edge. Klaus hadn't even bothered to mentioned to her that he had put a bun in the she-wolf's irritating oven.

"To continue," Elijah went on, "The witches had to suspect that we would seek retribution. In what I can only assume was a preemptive strike, on the night of the last full moon, the very day we discovered that Hayley's pregnancy was a farce, Niklaus was attacked."

"Please tell me he's catatonic and stewing in a coffin somewhere . . . _never _to wake up," the doppelganger sneered with a half smile delighting in the idea.

"Not as such, Katerina, but charming assumption; as always."

"What happened?" Caroline questioned feeling impatient with Kat's interruptions.

"I don't know how exactly, but Niklaus has been robbed of his past. His memories have been taken from him." Peering up to the women in the room, he gave them a minute to absorb the information.

A wide smile spread out over Katherine's lips and a light chuckle came out, "Even better!"

An almost growl curled out of Caroline's mouth. "Shut. Up," she said between gritted teeth. Her breath fell from her chest as she tried to get a grip on the new information, "All of them?"

"No. He seems to remember our human lives," Elijah mentioned bringing his eyebrows together lightly; saying it out loud seemed unreal.

"That's it?" the vampire asked, the whites of her eyes clearly visible,

"That is all."

"Oh my god." She stood and began to pace in front of the fireplace, her brain already going into crisis mode. "So, how does he get them back? He can get them back, right? Where is he?"

"One at a time, Peaches," Katherine chastised.

The blonde groaned as she swiped her hand through her hair, "Okay . . ." Sitting back down in a huff, she looked expectantly at the Original.

"All I have been able to ascertain from the witches we have working for us is that there are two ways to take away memories. You can either suppress them or eliminate them. Suppression is temporary; elimination is incomplete."

"Incomplete?"

"Yes. A memory elimination spell would work well if the caster is only trying to remove one or two memories, but ten lifetimes worth of memories would not be so easily removed. From what I've learned, however, the spells can be combined. If a suppression spell is used first and then followed by elimination: A person's past can be permanently taken from them. The good news is, from what I've been told, both spells require a full moon and would be exhausting to the witch that casted it."

"Which means?"

"Which means that if our culprit is attempting a suppression spell followed by an elimination spell, it would take two full moons to _complete_ly take his memories." Elijah drew in a long breath. "I can't believe the worst for my brother. I'm choosing to believe that he is presently a victim of suppression. I'm choosing to believe that there is still hope to restore him to his proper state."

"Of course," Caroline hummed with sympathy in her eyes.

"Which means you have one month before your brother loses his shit for good," Katherine jumped in with a pout. "Poor Elijah."

The blonde rolled her eyes as she attempted to ignore her least favorite doppelganger while Elijah merely glared at the brunette like she was an unruly child.

"Elijah?" Caroline said gaining his attention once again. "Where is he?"

A softness around his eyes settled in as he regarded her, "I couldn't very well leave him in New Orleans in his current state. Physically, he is immortal, but he does not understand himself in this time. He does not understand his abilities or what it means to be a vampire, let alone a werewolf."

"So he's . . . ?"

"He's here."

"Here? Where?"

"In the other room awaiting my summons. I thought it best to speak with you first."

Confused by the whole situation, the blonde's eyebrows drew together. In a small moment of realization, she asked, "Why did you want to talk to me?"

"Klaus' enemies will expect him to stay close to myself or Rebekah now that he has been . . . weakened. So, naturally, my sister and I must not be with Niklaus. His location must be kept secret; I have already had his whereabouts magically blocked. The witches tell me that proximity affects the spell. Away from New Orleans he is safer from any more attacks, but if they discover where he has been moved, they could easily relocate their casting place."

"Wait," Katherine chimed in seemingly interested all of a sudden, "The witches in New Orleans use ancestral magic. They can't practice away from the spirits of their families. They would have no power in Virginia."

"Another assumption. I cannot rely on assumptions. They may have allies that do not rely on ancestral magic," he responded his hand waving in the air as he explained. "In answer to your question, Miss Forbes. I do not trust that any of our vampire connections would not take advantage of Niklaus' current, dare I say, naïve character. Beside myself, I would only entrust him to my sister, but as already discussed, that cannot be. So, I brought him to the only other person I could think would help me keep him safe; keep him hidden."

"_Me?!"_ The blonde screeched with a hard blush on her cheeks. "Woah, Elijah. What on earth would put _me _at the top of your list?"

The Original smiled at her reaction. "Miss Forbes, I have noticed my brother's attachment to you. And, if I may, I do not think it over-reaching to say you have become friends. Do you?"

"Well, I . . . um . . . no," she stuttered.

"And from what I've learned of you in the past, you have a surprising amount of control of your vampiric urges for one so young."

"Okay. I guess."

"Is there a reason I would not find you the ideal candidate for this task?"

With an incredulous, sardonic smile she stood again to begin her pacing anew. "For starters, he doesn't remember me. Also, I'm just a baby vampire. I can't over-power him if he falls off the deep end, and . . . and—"

"—Caroline," he cooed pulling her out of her rant and standing himself. He took a few slow steps to stand in front of her. Her eyes were wild with a hint of panic to them. "Answer me one question honestly."

Taking a deep breath she nodded and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Do you care for Niklaus?"

A swirl of emotions echoed behind her blue eyes as they dropped to the floor. Did she _care_?

"I know of your loyalty, Caroline. I know that you have not always been on Klaus' side, but my observations have me believing that has changed. It would require stealth on your part. No one else can know that Niklaus is in Mystic Falls. The Salvatores, even Elena, would seek to harm or manipulate him. They mustn't know." Slowly, he lifted her chin, his touch pulling her from her head and back into the room. "Do you care for him? Do you care enough for your _friend_ to keep him safe when he has been made vulnerable?"

Caroline's eyes critically peered at the elder Original. Softly, she murmered, "Yes."

A genuine smile curled on Elijah's mouth.

"Hold up," Katherine harped while standing up to join them. "Where is he going to stay? I'm sorry, but I am not bunking with a psycho-Hybrid with control issues." Her words seemed to snap Caroline to the reality of Elijah's request as she grasped at the logistical issue. If Klaus wasn't in command of himself, he couldn't be around Katherine or her mother, for sure.

Not to worry, Katerina. You will be perfectly safe with me in New Orleans," he said plucking something off his suit sleeve.

"Oh _hell_ no! I am _not_ going to New Orleans," she exclaimed.

"I'm afraid you do not have a choice. Now that you are human, you are of great value to Klaus. You will stay with me as it is the safest place for you."

"_What!_ No no no no no. You gave me your word!" Her voice was shrill and echoed against the walls.

"I gave you my word that were I to take you from Mystic Falls, it would only be to add distance between yourself and my brother. As Niklaus is staying here, there is no breech in me taking you with me to Louisiana. And, seeing as I don't trust you as far as I can throw you now that you have this information, information that you elected to receive after ample warning by the way, you _will_ be coming with me," Elijah finished with a pleased, inconspicuous smile.

"You son of a bitch! You tricked me!" She was livid. She picked up a vase from the coffee table and hurled it at him. He was hardly fazed as he caught it before it could cause any damage.

"Tit for tat, Katerina. Tit for tat," he teased.

A girlish growl issued from her mouth as she plopped back down on the sofa in an exaggerated pout.

Elijah turned back to Caroline. "Can I count on you, Miss Forbes?"

To say she felt overwhelmed was an understatement. Could she take care of Klaus? What would he even be like? "He won't remember me. I . . . is he even himself anymore? Nevermind if I can keep him safe, what's going to stop him from killing me? I mean, not to sound vapid, but I always kinda trusted he wouldn't hurt me because he, you know, fancied me. He doesn't know me like that anymore. I'm just going to be the baby vampire that's telling him he can't feed or can't go into town. I care about him. I do, but he doesn't care about me anymore. Not like he is now." Her words almost blurred together as she made this speech without taking many breaths. Now, sucking in a deep pull of air, she ran her hands through her hair once more.

His smile was reassuring when he said, "My brother only remembers up until the moment he was killed in the immortality spell. From what I've been able to gather in the last three days, he is the same as he ever was as a human. And, I can guarantee, Miss Forbes, that my brother was a good man, and he will respect my wishes if I tell him that you are not to be harmed. Though I truly do not believe that he would purposefully seek to harm you. In all honesty, I think you are overestimating how changed my brother will seem to you."

The vampire regarded him seriously for a moment. His eyes seemed truthful, and logic told her that he wouldn't be suggesting this if he didn't believe it would work or it was the best option. She could at least count on him having the best intentions for Klaus, if not the best for her. She took one last cleansing breath before nodding to herself, and her eyes jumped up to meet Elijah's again. Her voice came out confident and determined when she said, "I need to see him."

* * *

Klaus sat in one of the oversized armchairs in the library reading from an ancient-looking book he had pulled from a shelf. While he could easily understand the meaning of the words on the page, he struggled to remember how he knew the language it was written in. Nevertheless, the story was intriguing enough to keep his mind occupied from the conversation he could here muffled from across the mansion.

He had to admit he was curious about this friend he had been brought to see. Elijah had hinted strongly that he didn't have many friends, so who was the man that his brother trusted to keep him hidden? All Elijah had eluded to was that he and this person had grown close but had once been enemies. He wondered if he would appear at all familiar.

His attention was torn away from his thoughts when he heard footsteps approaching the library. Closing the book and standing swiftly, Klaus stared at the door awaiting his brother and their guest. He nervously wet his lips when the door opened quietly. There was his brother, and, behind him, a woman?

Klaus' confusion was evident. Barely taking a moment to view the approaching female, he turned his gaze to his brother.

"Niklaus, may I present Miss Caroline Forbes," Elijah said genteelly gesturing with his hand toward her.

He may be confused, but he was hardly going to be rude. Stepping forward he reached his hand out to take the woman's hand. It was then that his eyes locked with hers. His lips parted involuntarily as he regarded the radiant girl standing before him. Her eyes were a confusing shade of blue and green, and while her face betrayed a curious worry, there was something about her that shook with a bright softness. He could smell a wonderful mix of honey and flora coming off her skin as she stepped closer slowly to place her hand in his. The supple texture beneath his fingers was sending his unfamiliar vampire senses into an uproar as he spun her hand atop his in an antiquated shake.

Clearing his throat, he addressed her, "Miss Forbes, lovely to meet you."

* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW! It motivates me to update sooner!**

**To be honest, I'm not fantastic with dialogue heavy chapters, but it was necessary to get things established. I hope it wasn't too boring. The next chapter should be more fun as Klaus and Caroline settle in.**


End file.
